FG shifts 2023 census to May 3rd-5th

The Federal Government has announced that the 2023 National Population and Housing Census will commence on May 3rd. 

A member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee on the 2023 National Population and Housing Census, Dr Garba Abari, confirmed this information on Sunday, March 26th, in Abuja when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum.

He said that the three-day exercise would begin on  May 3rd and end on May 5th across the country.

Abari, who is the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), explained that the census exercise would capture every person, household and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.

According to him, the change in the date was due to the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“That change by INEC made it mandatory for us to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise,” he said.

He described the census and the 2023 elections as major national events with significant importance which had earlier been planned to hold not too far away from each other.

“The census had to be put forward from the initial date of March 29th to April 2nd, now to May 3rd to 5th.

“There are two things that informed the shift in date. First, in the cause of our planning by the National Population Commission, it was so factored that INEC will also tinker with its own electoral timetable.

“The gubernatorial election as you are aware had to be shifted by one week. And this also has a telling effect on the date of commencement of the census.

“Just like election, the Census is also a very long process like the training, the sub-trainings, retraining leading till the very day of the actual house listing and numbering will commence and then the actual capture of the population will now take place.”